Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-07-01
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
WE LEAF.
Wcpassed through the caves without trouble,
hut when we came to the slope of the inverted
conc two difficulties stared us in tho face The
first of these was the laborious nature of the
ascent, and the next the extreme difficulty Of
finding our way. Indeed, had it not been for
the mental notes that had fortunately taken
Of the shape of various rocks, etc, / am
sure that we never should have managed it
at all, but have wandered about In the dread
full womb OF the volcano-for Isuppose 1t must
once have been something OF the sort-until
we died OF exhaustion and despair. As it was,
We went wrong several times, and once nearly
fell into huge crack or crevasse. 1t wns ter
rible work creeping about In the dense gloom
and awful stiffness from bowlder to bowlder,
and examining 1t by the feeble lights of the
lamp to see il / could recognize its shape. We
rarely spoke, our hearts were too heavy for
speech, we simply stumbled about, falling
sometimes and cutting ourselves in a rather
logged sort of way. The fact was that our
spirits were utterly crushed, and We did not
greatly care what happened to us. Only we
felt bound to try and save our lives while we
could, and, indeed, a natural instinct prompt
cd US TO it. So for some three or four hours, 1
should think-I cannot tell exactly how long,
for we had no watch left that would go-wo
Numbered on. During the last two hours we
were completely lost, and began to fear that
we had got in the funnel OF some subsidiary
conc. when at last suddenly recognized a very
large reck which we had l.axsod i'm descending
but little way from the top. ID Is marvel
that should have recognized IL, and, indeed,
wo had already passed 1t In going at right
angles TO the proper path, when something
nbout Ii struck me, and l turned bnck and
examined II in ail idle sort OF way, and, as 1t
happened, this proved our salvation.
After this we gained the rocky natural
stair without much further trouble, and in
due course found ourselves back in the little
chamber, where the benighted Moot had
lived and died.
But now a fresh terror stared us In tho face.
1t may be remembered that owing TO poor
Jobs fear and awkwardness, the plank upon
which we had crossed from the huge spur TO
the rocking stone had been whirled Off into
tho gulf below.
How were we to cross without the plank
There was only one answer-we must try
and jump II, or else stop where we were till
we starved. Tho distance In itself was not
very great-between eleven and twelve feet,
] should think-and have seen Leo jump
ONOI ltob Mucu io WIS u (OullK ltl-
low at college; but then, think OF the condi-
tons Two weary, worn out men, one OF
them the wrong side of 49, a rocking stone to
take of from, a trembling point OF rock some
few feet across 10 land on, and bottomless
gulf to DO cleared in raging gale. IL was
had enough, God knows, but when pointed
out these things to Leo, he put the whole
matter in a nutshell by replying that, mercl-
less as the choice was, we must choose be-
tween the certainty of lingering death in
the chamber and the risk Of q swift one in the
mir. OF course there was no arguing against
this, but one thing was clear, we could not
attempt that leap in the dark; the only thing
To do was 10 wait for the ray Of light which
pierced through the gulf at sunset How
near to or how far from sunset we might DO
neither of us had the fnintest notion; all we
did know was TINT when at last the light
came it would not endure more than couple
OF minutes at the outside, so that we must DO
prepared TO meet Il. Accordingly, we mado
up our minds to creep on to the top Of the
rocking stone and lie there In readiness. We
were the moro readily reconciled TO this
course by the fact that our lamps were once
moro nearly exhausted-indeed, one had gone
out bodily, and the other wns jumping up
and down. as the fame Of lamp does when
the oil Is done. So by the aid OF its dying
light we hastened TO crawl out of the little
chamber and Chamber up the side of tho great
stone.
As we did so tho light went out.
The difference in our position was sufll-
GENTLY remarkable one. Below, in the little
chamber, wo had only heard the roaring Of
the gale overhead; here, lying on our faces
on the swinging stone, We were exposed TO
its full force and fury, as tho great draught
drow first from this direction and then from
that, bowling against the mighty precipice
and through the rocky cliffs like Il, 600 de-
spairing souls. We lay there hour after hour
in terror and misery of mind so deep that l
will not attempt to describe It, and listened
TO the wild storm voices Of that Tartatus, as
Get TO the deep undertone Of the spur oppo-
site, against which the wind hummed like
SOME awful harp, they called TO each other
from precipice TO precipice. No nightmare
dreamed by man, no wild invention Of tho
Iomancer, can ever equal the living horror Of
that place and the weird crying Of those
voices Of the night us we lay, like ship
wrecked mariners on a raft, and tossed on
black, unfnthomed wilderness OF air. Fortu-
nately the temperature was not low one
indeed, the wind was warm, or we should
have persisted Well, we lay and listened.
and while we still were stretched out upon
the rock thing happened that was so curl
GUS and suggestive In itself, though doubtless
IL was mere coincidence, that II anything,
IL ndded 10 rather than deducted from the
burden of our nerves
1t will he remembered that when Ayesha
wis OH lio DtlOTt we tIneAIi
TO tho stone, the wind tore her clonk from her
and vhirled ID awny into the darkness OF the
gull, we could not seo WHITTIER. Welt
hardly like to tell the story, IL is 70 strange
rs we lay thore upon the rocking stoDc THIS
very cloak cnme floating out OF the black
sp9cc, like q memory from the Dead and fell
on Leo so that IL covered him nearly from
head 70 foot. We could not at first make
out what 10 was, but soon discovered by its
feel, and then poor Leo for the first time gave
way, and heard him sobbing there upon tho
stone. No doubt the cloak had been caught
upon some pinnacle of the cliff, and was
thence blown hither by chance gust; but
still 1t was most curious and touching Incl
dent
Shortly after this, suddenly, without the
slightest previous warning, the great rcd
knife OF light came stabblng the darkness
through and through, struck the swaying
stone on which we lay md rested It's sharp
point upon the spur opposite.
"Now for It," said Leo, 'now or never"
We rose ard stretched ourselves, and looked
at the cloud wreaths stained tho color of
blood by that red ray, as they tore through
the slcltening depths beneath, and then at tho
empty space between the swaying stone aud
tho Iuvering rock, and in our hearts des-
paired and prepared for death. Surely wo
could not clear it, desperate though we were.
"Who is TO go flIstH said !.
"Do you, old fellow" answered Leo. ~ will
sit upon the other side OF the stone 10 steady
IL. You must take as much run as you can
and jump high; and God have mercy on
us, say /.
acguiesced with a nod. and then did a
thing had never done since Leo was little
boy turned and put my arm round him
and kissed him OIL the forehead. II sounds
rather French, but us n fact was taking my
last farewell of man whom l could not have
loved more II ho had been my own son twice
over.
Good by, my boy" said, II hope that wo
shall meet agnin, wherever IL is that we 20 tor
Tho fact was l did not expect to live an
other two minutes.
Next retreated to tho far side OF the rock,
and waited till one OF the chopping gusts Of
wind got behind me. and then commenting